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•  THE  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS 
AND  CLIPPINGS  IN 
LIBRARIES 


By 
PHILENA  A.  DICKEY 


Thesis  presented  for  graduation 

Library  School  of  the  New  York  Public  Library 

1916 


THE  H.    W.   WILSON  COMPANY 

WHITE  PLAINS.  N.  Y.  and  NEW  YORK  CITY 


Library    Problems 

THE  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS 

AND  CLIPPINGS  IN 

LIBRARIES 


By 

PHILENA  A.  DICKEY 


Thesis  presented  for  graduation 

Library  School  of  the  New  York  Public  Library 

1916 


THE  H.    W.   WILSON  COMPANY 

WHITE  PLAINS.  N,  Y.  and  NEW  YORK  CITY 


ma^ 


THE  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND 
CLIPPINGS  IN  LIBRARIES 

About  thirty  years  ago  Mr.  Cutter,  when  president 
of  the  American  Library  Association,  said  of  the  libra- 
rian's attitude  toward  the  pamphlet:  "A  librarian  ordi- 
narily collects  pamphlets  as  unhesitatingly  as  a  little  dog 
runs  out  and  barks  at  a  buggy.  The  dog  could  not  give 
any  reason  for  it,  but  all  his  ancestors  have  done  it,  all 
the  curs  of  his  acquaintance  do  it,  and  he  has  done  it 
himself  from  his  earliest  recollection."  The  dog's  in- 
stinct must  have  some  foundation,  but  he  is  not  blessed 
with  the  librarian's  facility  of  expression.  At  least  his 
attitude  argues  a  certain  amount  of  alertness  and  readiness 
to  act,  however  mistakenly,  and  the  fact  that  a  librarian 
collects  pamphlets  evinces  the  possession  of  an  amount 
of  zeal,  which,  if  properly  directed,  is  more  likely  to 
achieve  results  than  a  passive  indifference  to  possibilities. 

It  is  the  passive  librarian  who  generally  regards 
pamphlets  as  nuisances  to  be  avoided,  rather  than  as 
what  Dr.  Spofford  calls  "vehicles  of  thought  and  opinion, 
propagandists  of  new  ideas  .  .  .  storehouses  of  facts, 
repositories  of  history,  annals  of  biography,  records  of 
genealogy,  treasuries  of  statistics,  chronicles  of  invention 
and  discovery/' 

No  history  of  the  pamphlet  can  be  given  in  such  a 
limited  space;  but  in  an  account  of  the  methods  and 
devices  employed  in  its  care  and  for  the  enlargement  of 
its  usefulness,  a  word  as  to  its  historic  dignity  and  its 
claim  to  consideration  is  not  out  of  place.  In  this  form 
first  appeared   all   of   Shakespeare's  plays   published  in 

348681 


4  CAR£  OF  TAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

his  life;  time;  Miltcvxi's-'Areopagitica,"  which  boasted 
but  forty  pages,  Webster's  "Reply  to  Hayne,"  Sumner's 
'True  Grandeur  of  Nations,"  and  Patmore's  translation 
of  the  Rubaiyat. 

The  British  Museum  calls  any  printed  publication  of 
one  hundred  pages  or  less  a  pamphlet,  and  Webster's 
Dictionary  defines  it  as  "a  book  of  a  few  sheets  of  printed 
What  is  a  matter,  or  formerly  of  manuscript,  com- 
Pamphlet?  monly  with  a  paper  cover."  Whatever  the 
arbitrary  definition,  every  librarian  recognizes  the  reality, 
but  for  purposes  of  this  discussion  periodicals,  of  which 
files  are  kept,  the  development  of  the  clipping  practice 
known  as  the  "picture  collection,"  and  the  problems  of 
the  depository  library,  are  not  considered.  These  are 
so  important  as  to  require  separate  treatment. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  paper  to  describe  and  weigh 
the  advantages  of  some  of  the  means  employed  by  dif- 
ferent libraries  to  deal  with  the  flood  of  public  docu- 
ments, reports  of  investigations  by  public  and  private 
commissions  and  societies,  political  speeches  and  prop- 
aganda, advertising  matter,  and  treatises  on  technical 
and  scientific  subjects,  which  is  rising  on  all  sides  and 
threatens  to  overpower  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  cope 
with  it. 

As  has  been  already  hinted,  the  value  to  the  library 
of  this  mass  of  printed  matter  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  stuff  of  which  reference  books  are  made.  Here  one 
Value  of  the  ^^^'  ^^  ^^  speak,  the  advance  sheets  of 
Pamphlets  many  expensive  reference  books  at  practi- 
to  the  cally  no  cost  for  acquisition  and  little  for 

Library  preparation  and  maintenance,  as  compared 

with  books.  This  material  also  gives  valuable  aid  in 
supplementing  the   reference  books — ^bringing  them  up 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  5 

to  date  and  correcting  statistics.  In  the  reference  de- 
partment of  the  Newark  Public  Library  it  is  claimed 
that  as  many  questions  are  answered  from  the  pamphlets 
and  clippings  of  the  vertical  file,  as  from  the  encyclo- 
pedias. Here  are  the  by-products  of  the  library,  the 
material  retrieved  from  waste,  for  much  of  value  can  be 
reclaimed  from  discarded  magazines  and  newspapers 
which  have  served  their  term  of  usefulness  and  are  other- 
wise ready  to  be  disposed  of  as  trash. 

The  special  or  large  reference  library  probably  need 
not  allow  for  duplication  of  material  already  in  bound 
magazines  or  incorporated  in  reference  books,  but  in  the 
Duplication  average  public  library  or  branch  such 
of  Material  duplication  is  at  times  a  virtue.  When  a 
teacher  advises  a  class  to  ask  at  the  public  library  for 
material  on  the  kind  of  food  a  laborer  should  eat,  the 
distracted  librarian  will  find  that  a  goodly  supply  of 
Farmers'  and  Cornell  bulletins  is  her  salvation,  when 
the  available  books  are  exhausted.  Few  teachers  feel 
any  obligation  to  cooperate  with  the  library  even  to  the 
extent  of  supplying  a  list  of  the  subjects  to  be  asked  for, 
before  the  arrival  of  the  students,  thus  giving  the  librarian 
an  opportunity  to  conserve  her  resources  for  an  emer- 
gency. As  it  is,  the  race  is  to  the  swift,  for  the  first  to 
arrive  bear  ofit*  the  books  before  the  situation  is  realized. 

Aside  from  its  reference  use,  the  pamphlet  collection, 
through  the  demands  made  in  its  up-building,  may  be 
used  to  create  a  spirit  of  proprietorship  and  cooperation 
Value  to  the  ^^^^^"^  ^^^  library  on  the  part  of  various 
Community  classes  in  the  community.  Among  those 
who  may  find  it  useful  are: 

I.  State  or  city  officials.  Through  the  knowledge 
of  how  other  communities  are  dealing  with  similar  prob- 


6  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

lems,  gained  from  state  and  municipal  reports  and  from 
reports  of  investigations  and  surveys,  many  expensive 
mistakes  may  be  avoided  and  many  friends  made.  There 
are  today  legislative  reference  libraries  in  32  out  of  the 
48  states,  and  an  ever  increasing  number  of  municipal 
reference  libraries. 

2.  Business  men.  That  the  library  was  for  any  but 
women,  children  and  bookworms,  or  at  most  could  offer 
anything  but  amusement  and  recreation  to  the  tired 
business  man,  is  an  idea  of  recent  but  rapid  growth,  as 
is  seen  in  the  increasing  number  of  business  branches  and 
departments  in  public  libraries  and  of  special  business  li- 
braries, which  form  an  important  part  of  the  organization 
of  many  large  concerns.  These  special  business  libraries 
have  been  called  into  being  by  a  need  which  the  Dublic 
library  feels  that  it  cannot  meet  with  its  present  organiza- 
tion. The  knowledge  required  is  too  specialized,  and  the 
demand  is  not  for  "all  the  literature  on  the  subject"  but 
for  an  abstract  of  the  information  sought.  Some  one 
has  expressed  this  difference  thus,  "the  public  library 
depends  largely  upon  the  past  while  the  special  library 
deals  principally  with  the  present  and  the  future."  It 
is  a  clearing  house  of  live  ideas  and  problems,  or  as  Mr. 
W.  P.  Cutter  phrases  it,  "The  special  library  is  one  that 
serves  the  people  who  are  doing  things,  while  a  reference 
library  is  one  which  serves  the  people  who  are  thinking 
things." 

There  is  a  marked  tendency  to  modify  this  attitude 
on  the  part  of  the  public  library,  even  in  a  great  reference 
collection  like  the  New  York  Public  Library,  where 
the  Economics  Division  is  virtually  a  special  library, 
doing  a  wonderful  work  along  economic  and  political 
lines.  The  public  library  should,  as  its  name  implies,  be 
supported  by  all  the  people  for  all  the  people,  doers  as 
well  as  thinkers. 

3.  Teachers  and  students.  The  library  has  always 
served  this  part  of  the  community,  but  there  is  a  great 
increase  in  the  use  of  ephemeral  material  in  schools 
caused  by  changes  in  the  curriculum  and  methods  of 
teaching.     Especially   is  this   true   since   the   growth  of 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  7 

inter-class  and  inter-school  debating.  The  pamphlet 
collection  lends  itself  to  this  work,  in  which  all  sorts  of 
subjects  and  sources  of  information  are  useful. 

4,  Clubs  and  social  workers.  The  librarian,  having 
a  lively  sense  of  responsibility  to  the  community,  will 
especially  consider  the  needs  of  these  two  classes,  when 
building  up  the  library's  hoard  of  ephemera.  The  pam- 
phlet collection  should  include,  not  only  the  reports  and 
surveys  of  other  places  of  like  size  and  conditions,  but 
also  clippings  from  the  local  press,  forming  a  social  and 
reform  history  of  the  community. 

5.  Newspaper  men.  In  a  large  city  these  patrons 
of  the  library  are  not  so  conspicuous,  because,  as  in  the 
case  of  large  business  organizations,  their  needs  are  in 
a  great  measure  met  by  special  libraries  in  their  own 
plants.  In  regard  to  completeness  of  equipment  and 
workableness  of  arrangement,  many  libraries  could  learn 
much  from  the  New  York  Times'  editorial  files.  Where 
newspapers  do  not  have  their  own  libraries,  much  good 
may  result  from  the  interdependence  of  the  library  and 
the  newspaper  staff. 

Since  the  pamphlet  is  no  novelty  in  the  library,  the 
justification  for  this  discussion  of  the  subject  must  be 
found  in  the  changed  attitude  toward  it,  caused  by  the 
phenomenal  increase  in  printed  matter  of  all  kinds, 
especially  in  the  publications  of  institutions  and  associa- 
tions of  a  public  or  semi-public  nature. 

To  index  and  bring  pamphlet  material  quickly  and 
easily,  with  a  minimum  of  expense,  to  those  who  want 
or  need  it,  is  the  librarian's  problem.  The  feeling  is 
New  Creed  spreading  that  the  old  reverence  for  any- 
for  the  thing  in  print  must  give  way  before  a  new 

Library  creed,  which  has  been  tersely  put  into  form 

by  Mr.  Dana.  "Select  a  few  of  the  best  books  and  keep 
them  as  before,  but  also  select  from  the  vast  flood  of 
print    the    things    your    constituency    will    find    helpful, 


8  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

make  them  available  with  a  minimum  of  expense   and 
discard  them  as  soon  as  their  usefulness  is  past." 

Whether  the  pamphlet  box  or  the  pamphlet  volume 
was  the  first  step  away  from  the  disorderly  piles,  which 
served  no  purpose  other  than  the  accumulation  of  dust, 
Pamphlet  ^^  immaterial.     Both  of  these  methods  are 

Boxes  and  still  in  wide  use,  although  their  weak  points 
Pamphlet  are  fully  recognized.     The  relative  virtues 

Volumes  ^f  ^^le  open  and  closed  top  boxes  and  the 

entirely  closed  transfer  case  should  be  given  careful  con- 
sideration before  deciding  on  the  kind  of  pamphlet  box 
to  use.  The  box  which  is  open  only  at  the  back  gives 
better  protection  from  dust  but  does  not  insure  against 
loss  as  well  as  the  open  top  variety.  The  transfer  case 
answers  both  of  these  objections,  as  does  a  hinged  top 
pamphlet  box,  but  these  cost  more.  Before  the  present 
war  prices  prevailed  in  the  paper  trade,  a  good  practical 
box  could  be  obtained  from  H.  Schultz  &  Co.,  Roberts 
and  Superior  streets,  Chicago,  for  about  six  dollars  per 
hundred  or  from  Clark  &  Gibby,  289  Fourth  avenue,  New 
York  for  about  twelve  dollars  a  hundred.  The  latter 
box  is  well  reinforced  and  has  the  special  advantage  of  a 
hinged  cover.  It  may  be  ordered  in  almost  any  size. 
Andrus  &  Church  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  carry  in  stock  four 
sizes  of  a  pamphlet  case,  which  has  proved  satisfactory 
in  makeup  and  price.  Library  Bureau  prices  are  usually 
higher  than  those  just  quoted. 

In  the  case  of  either  the  box  or  the  bound  volume  the 
original  method  seems  to  have  been  to  arrange  the  pam- 
phlets in  the  sequence  in  which  they  came  into  the  li- 
Arrange-  brary.     The   disadvantage   of  this  method, 

ment  of  especially  in  the  case  of  the  bound  volumes. 

Pamphlet  lay  in  the  fact  that  an  index  to  the  volume 

olumes  ^^g  seldom  included,  and  much  time  was 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  9 

therefore  lost  in  locating  the  desired  pamphlet  even  after 
the  volume  was  at  hand.  Also  in  throwing  together  a 
heterogeneous  collection  of  from  a  dozen  to  twenty 
pamphlets  by  various  authors  and  on  widely  different 
subjects,  there  was  always  the  risk  of  keeping  others 
waiting  while  one  reader  monopolized  the  volume. 
Another  disadvantage  of  pamphlet  volumes  is  that  if  a 
volume  is  lost,  replacement  is  infinitely  more  difficult  than 
in  the  case  of  the  singly  bound  pamphlet  or  the  vertical 
file  material. 

The  tendency,  wherever  pamphlet  boxes  and  volumes 
are  used,  is  to  do  away  with  the  miscellaneous  collection 
and  by  classifying  closely  keep  only  pamphlets  on  the 
same  phase  of  a  subject  together,  fitting  them  into  the 
classification  like  books.  This  is  the  method  followed 
by  the  New  York  Public  Library  in  its  large  reference 
collection. 

In  making  up  the  volumes,  experience  teaches  that 
the  inclusion  of  the  original  covers  of  the  pamphlets 
as  well  as  an  index  to  the  whole  volume,  facilitates  the 
location  of  a  desired  article  by  the  reader.  Each  pam- 
phlet should  be  numbered  consecutively  and  this  number 
should  be  written  on  the  cover  and  used  in  the  index. 
An  additional  aid  is  found  in  the  index  tag  or  signal, 
attached  to  the  top  of  each  pamphlet,  and  bearing  the 
number  of  that  pamphlet. 

When  arranging  the  pamphlets,  an  alphabetical, 
rather  than  a  chronological  sequence  should  be  chosen, 
with  a  possible  exception  in  the  case  of  historical,  or 
scientific  material.  But  even  in  these  classes,  any 
attempt  to  carry  the  chronological  arrangement  beyond 
the  confines  of  a  single  volume  will  sooner  or  later  make 
it  necessary  to  tear  apart  and  rebind  to  allow  for  the 
insertion   of   tardily   acquired   treasures.     This   was   the 


10  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

case  with  forty  volumes  on  ''Slavery"  in  the  library  of 
the  University  of  IMichigan  a  few  years  ago.  Where 
the  chronological  arrangement  is  limited  to  a  single 
volume  there  is  little  point  in  employing  it  at  all. 

Author  entries,  especially  in  the  case  of  society  re- 
ports,   should    be    assigned   by    the    catalog    department 
before  the  index  in  the  volume  is  made,  in  order  that 
the  entry  in  the  index  and  that  in  the  catalog  may  agree. 
In  very  large  or  well  endowed  libraries  it  is  possible 
to  catalog  each  bit  of  material  as  carefully  as  the  weigh- 
tiest book,  but  ordinarily  much  uncataloged  material  must 
be  dealt  with.     When  this  is  kept  in  pam- 
a  a  ogmg       pjijet  boxes,  a  permanent  card  inserted  in 
the  catalog  at  the  end  of  the  subject  reminds  both  the  li- 
brarian  and   the   public   of    further    resources.     Such   a 
card  may  read : 

335     Socialism. 

For  uncataloged  pamphlets  on  this  subject,  see 
pamphlet  boxes  marked  335  and  shelved  after 
the  books  in  that  class. 

Where  a  shelf  list  record  of  such  material  is  considered 
necessary  a  simple  and  effective  method   is  as  follows : 

335  Pamphlets  on  socialism 

p.b.i 

6  pamphlets. 

the  number  of  pamphlets  being  inserted  lightly  in  pencil 
so  that  it  may  be  easily  changed,  when  another  pamphlet 
is  added  to  that  box. 

In  the  average  library,  when  the  method  of  binding 
pamphlets  on  the  same  subject  together  is  used,  the 
catalog  entr\'  should  be  by  subject  unless  the  author's 
name  carries  such  weight  as  to  require  especial  notice, 
or  local  interest  makes  an  author  entry  imperative. 


CARE    OF   PAMPHLETS    AND    CLIPPINGS  ii 

Sample  subject  card  for  entire  volume  of  pamphlets 
on  socialism. 

335  Socialism. 

p.v.7  Pamphlets  on  socialism 

Contents : 

1.  Socialism  in  Germany,  by  Karl  Marx. 

1895. 

2.  Socialism  in   Minnesota.    1915- 

Sample  author  card  for  one  pamphlet  in  that  volume. 
335  Marx,  Karl, 

P-V.7  Socialism  in  Germany.    1895. 

no.  I 

Some  libraries  prefer  to  use  pam.  box  and  pam.  v. 
(instead  of  p.  b.  and  p.  v.),  because  this  is  clearer  to  the 
public. 

With  the  disadvantage  of  the  bound  volume  in  mind, 
the  obvious  way  out  of  the  difficulty  was  to  bind  each 
pamphlet  separately  and  catalog  as  a  book.  This  is 
Bound  undoubtedly  the  ideal  method  of  treatment, 

Single  especially    in    the    reference    or   college    li- 

Pamphlet  brary.     The  British  Museum,  and  the  Li- 

brary of  Congress  still  hold  to  this  ideal,  but  the  other 
libraries  are  rapidly  finding  it  absolutely  impractical. 
The  scheme  breaks  down  of  its  own  weight  and  cost,  in 
the  case  of  the  moderately  sized  or  ordinarily  financed 
library.  The  mere  question  of  shelving  also  soon  be- 
comes a  problem.  It  was  estimated  by  the  Harvard  li- 
brary a  few  years  ago  that  pamphlets  were  received  at 
an  average  rate  of  16,500  a  year  for  the  five  years  pre- 
ceding the  estimate,  and  the  number  showed  an  increase 
each  year.  Harvard  College  Library,  Columbia  Library, 
and  John  Crerar  are  among  those  which  have  had  to 
own  themselves  beaten  by  the  flood  of  printed  matter,  and 


12  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

have  found  it  necessary  to  provide  for  an  increasingly 
large  amount  of  uncataloged  material. 

The  rules  governing  treatment  of  the  pamphlet 
material  in  the  John  Crerar  Library  are  as  follows : 

1.  Pamphlets,  including  reprints  and  other  material 
Pamphlet  °^  permanent  value,  which  would  classify 
Treatment  exactly  under  any  probable  subdivision  of 
in  the  the  Decimal  classification,  may  be  proposed 
John  Crerar     |^y   ^j^^   Reference   Librarian   to    be   bound 

rary  together,  Vvath  the  binder's  title,  'Pamphlets 

on  .'  Only  material  of  approxim.ately  the  same 
size  is  to  be  put  in  the  same  volume.  The  catalog  entry 
is  to  follow  the  binder's  title  and  is  to  have  contents  note 
with  full  collation  added.  Author  entries  may  be  made 
for  individual  pamphlets. 

Volumes  of  pamphlets  already  bound  when  received, 
if  on  the  same  subject  or  on  allied  subjects  (e.  g.  the 
subdivisions  of  a  section  of  the  Decimal  classification) 
may  be  treated  in  the  same  way,  unless  analytical  entries 
are  especially  needed.  17  Dec,  1906. 

2.  Material  intended  to  be  cataloged  and  shelved 
permanently  in  boxes,  is  to  be  accessioned  and  to  have 
proper  lettering  on  the  back  of  the  box  and  accession 
numbers  inside.  11  Feb.,  1908. 

3.  Unbound  pamphlets  are  to  be  kept  in  pamphlet 
boxes,  no  box  to  contain  material  classifying  in  two 
divisions  of  the  Library's  Statistics.  A  shelf  list  record 
is  to  be  kept,  with  one  card  for  each  box,  giving  in  a 
tally  record  the  number  of  pamphlets  therein.  A  general 
entry  for  the  collection  is  to  be  made  in  the  author  cata- 
logue under  Pamphlets.  Author  slips  for  all  pamphlets 
of  permanent  value,  including  reprints,  are  to  be  filed  in 
the  official  catalogue.  4  March,  1908. 

4.  Pamphlets,  not  reprints,  which  have  100  pages  or 
more,  or  for  which  the  Library  expects  to  receive  L.  C. 
cards,  are  to  be  bound  and  catalogued.  If  it  is  found 
that  L.  C.  cards  can  be  procured  for  a  pamphlet  of  less 
than  100  pages,  the  fact  is  to  be  reported  to  the  Reference 
Librarians   for  their  consideration.     Any  pamphlet  may 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  13 

be  bound  and  catalogued  on  the  recommendation  of  one 
of  the  heads  of  the  staff.  8  December,  1908. 

5.  The  Library  is  to  make  a  collection  of  trade  cata- 
logues ;  and  those  not  regarded  as  of  sufficient  importance 
for  shelving  as  books  are  to  be  kept  as  a  separate  collec- 
tion and  numbered  in  order  of  receipt,  with  card  index 
by  firm  and  subject.  13  May,  1915. 

From  the  foregoing  directions  it  appears  that  the 
size  of  the  pamphlet  and  the  possibility  of  obtaining 
Library  of  Congress  cards  determine  whether  or  not 
the  pamphlet  shall  receive  individual  treatment.  Those 
which  are  not  to  be  bound  separately  are  looked  over  by 
the  cataloger  and  classifier,  who  writes  the  class  number 
on  the  cover  or  first  page  of  the  pamphlet,  and  the  face 
of  the  order  slip.  For  those  unsolicited  gifts  which  have 
no  order  slip,  one  is  written.  The  slips  are  filed  under 
their  author  headings  in  the  official  catalog,  and  the  pam- 
phlets put  in  boxes.  Formerly  the  boxes  were  kept  on 
the  regular  shelves  with  the  books,  but  now  they  are  kept 
all  together  in  one  place. 

The  principle  underlying  this  treatment  is  that  un- 
important and  ephemeral  material,  which  is  likely  only 
to  be  called  for  as  relating  to  a  subject,  is  available  in 
bulk,  as  in  the  vertical  file. 

In  the  Harvard  University  Library  there  are  five 
classes  provided  for  pamphlet  material. 

I.     Those  bound  singly. 
In  Harvard  ^-     ^^^  unbound  but  fully  cataloged  by 

University         author  and  subject. 
Library  -^_     Those  having  an  author  entry  only. 

4.  Those  entered  only  in  the  official  catalog. 

5.  Those  not  cataloged  at  all. 

Pamphlets  in  this  last  class  are  sent  to  the  head  of  the 
department,    who    assigns    them    to    their   boxes    in    the 


14  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

classification,  according  to  their  subject  matter.  A  box 
may  contain  both  fully  cataloged  and  entirely  uncataloged 
material.  Theoretically,  the  boxes  are  to  serve  as  con- 
tainers until  enough  pamphlets  have  accumulated  to 
bind.  When  a  box  full  is  bound  the  volume  receives 
the  number  borne  by  the  box,  as — Phil.  2575.  i,  and  a 
new  box  with  number  Phil.  2575.  2,  is  started. 

The  question  of  binding  for  pamphlets  has  been  much 
written  about  and  discussed  in  library  magazines  and 
meetings,  each  library  having  its  favorite  method,  which 
Binding  for  ^^  advocates  with  warmth.  In  the  present 
Pamphlets  chaotic  state  of  the  paper  trade  it  is  worse 
than  useless  to  quote  prices.  Formerly  binders  ranged 
from  three  to  fifty  cents  in  price  and  from  the  manila 
cover  for  the  single  pamphlet  to  those  designed  for  a 
series.  Harvard  University  Library  has  given  its  name 
to  a  widely  used  binder,  with  light  board  sides,  cloth  back, 
and  cloth  stubs  inside,  which  have  only  to  be  covered 
with  glue  and  the  pamphlet  inserted.  The  Gaylord 
Brothers  and  the  Library  Bureau  catalogs  offer  a  range 
of  prices  to  suit  every  purse.  Some  libraries  find  that 
lining  the  original  cover  with  red  manila  rope  and  re- 
placing it  on  the  pamphlet  gives  sufficient  stiffening  to 
make  shelving  easy  and  insure  the  life  of  the  volume 
for  an  adequate  period.  Still  others  prefer  pressboard, 
thinking  that  its  superior  stiffness  compensates  for  its 
tendency  to  curl.  Those  desiring  more  variety  of  color 
than  is  aft'orded  by  red  rope  and  pressboard,  will  find 
Cordova  paper  a  pleasing  substitute,  although  as  it  comes 
in  sheets  there  is  liable  to  be  more  waste  than  in  cutting 
from  the  roll,  as  in  the  case  of  red  rope. 

While  a  certain  percentage  of  the  pamphlets  coming 
into  the  library  each  year  have  so  much  value  from  an 
economic,  historical  or  intellectual  standpoint,  that  they 
naturally  find  a  place  in  the  permanent  book  collection, 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  15 

for  the  average  library  the  question  of  dealing  with  the 
ephemeral  material  is  becoming  more  pressing. 

In  1909,  at  the  American  Library  Association  meeting, 
all  who  took  part  in  the  discussion  on  pamphlets  de- 
clared the  problem  of  dealing  satisfactorily  with  ephem- 
eral material  was  still  unsolved.  No  claim  can  yet  be 
made  of  a  permanent  solution,  but  those  best  qualified 
to  speak  with  authority  on  the  subject  agree  that,  to  date, 
the  vertical  file  or  such  a  variation  as  the  box  used  in 
the  Economics  Division  of  the  New  York  Public  Library, 
best  meets  the  requirements  of  the  situation. 

The  name  vertical  file  is  applied  to  envelopes  or  folders 

arranged   in    an   upright  position   in   a   drawer  or  tray. 

Into    these    containers    is    dropped    an    in- 
Vertical  File  ,      r  ,     •   1 

creasmg  amount  of  material,   representmg 

the  up-to-date  information  otherwise  mostly  unavailable. 

The  form  of  vertical  file  used  by  the  Economics 
Division  of  the  New  York  Public  Library  is  made  up 
of  cloth  covered  boxes  10 j4''  x  9"  x  8",  with  covers, 
in  which  mounts  10^"  x  7 J/"  are  used.  These  boxes 
are  easily  handled  and  fit  ordinary  shelves.  The  assis- 
tants of  the  Economics  Division  claim  that  for  their 
work  the  smaller  unit  is  more  easily  used  and  kept  in 
order  than  the  usual  type  of  file.  The  average  library 
however,  finds  the  regular  vertical  file  more  satisfactory 
than  boxes,  which,  though  cheaper,  take  up  more  room 
and,  in  the  opinion  of  most  librarians,  are  more  difficult 
to  consult. 

The  catalogs  of  dealers  in  library  and  office  supplies 
are  the  best  source  of  information  for  the  prospective 
purchaser  of  vertical  file  cases ;  but  here  experience 
Equipment  teaches  that  an  original  outlay  of  a  few 
for  Vertical  more  dollars  for  a  superior  case  will  save 
File  much    time,    temper   -and    muscular    effort 

later  on  when  filing  material.     For  ease  of  manipulation 


i6  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

and  beauty  of  finish,  the  files  of  the  Library  Bureau  are 
to  be  reHed  upon,  and  their  two-drawer  correspondence 
file  units,  with  inside  measurements  of  drawers  lo" 
high,  12"  wide  and  2.2]/^'  deep,  fitted  with  roller  slides, 
are  most  satisfactory,  though  some  libraries,  as  the 
Library  of  the  American  Bankers'  Association,  prefer 
the  legal  size,  as  affording  space  for  double  rather  than 
single  filing. 

The  Newark  Free  Public  Library  uses  the  first 
mentioned  size  and  with  it  Library  Bureau  folder  No. 
5050,  dimensions  unfolded,  18^"  x  11^",  thus  allowing 
an  extension  of  Yi"  on  the  back  face  for  the  subject 
heading  and  cross  references.  For  thick  pamphlets,  or 
large  groups  of  material.  Library  Bureau  extension  folder 
No.  5015  is  used.  Guide  cards  are  of  heavy  gray  press- 
board,  Library  Bureau  No.  6050.  One  set  of  250 
alphabetical  divisions,  printed  on  thirds,  are  supple- 
mented by  cards  of  the  same  quality,  plain,  cut  in  thirds, 
on  which  additional  divisions  are  printed  by  hand  as 
needed. 

In  the  Washington,  D.  C,  Public  Library,  open  top 
envelopes,  of  an  extra  heavy  manila  paper,  are  used 
instead  of  folders,  and  seem  to  have  a  slight  advantage 
in  regard  to  security  of  the  material  and  ease  of  filing, 
although  the  cost  is  somewhat  higher.  However,  their 
weight  is  such  that  replacement  is  not  frequent.  The 
subject  is  written  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner  and  the 
cross  references  on  the  right  hand  side,  on  the  face  nf 
the  envelope. 

The  use  of  containers,  except  for  the  most  temporary 
matter,  is  obviated  in  the  American  Bankers'  Association 
Library,  by  mounting  all  clippings  on  a  light  weight 
manila  cardboard  card  9^"  x  7^^",  punched  for  lacing 
together  as  needed,  and  by  placing  magazine  excerpts  or 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  17 

very  thin  pamphlets  in  a  folder  of  the  same  material  as 
the  card,  unfolded,  13/4"  x  9,^/2",  secured  by  staples,  with 
the  subject  heading,  title  of  the  article,  the  name  of  the 
magazine  from  which  it  is  taken,  and  the  date  printed 
on  the  cover.  Divisions  are  indicated  by  guide  cards, 
on  which  a  white  typewritten  slip  in  the  upper  left  hand 
corner  gives  the  subject  and  a  system  of  colored  type- 
written slips  pasted  in  the  upper  right  hand  corner  show 
the  "see''  and  "see  also"  references.  Small  red  metal 
"vise  signals,''  made  by  George  B.  Graff  Co.,  24  Wash- 
ington Street,  Boston,  Mass.,  are  attached  to  the  articles 
to  which  references  are  made  from  some  general  subject. 
For  instance,  a  clipping  on  the  issue  of  bank  notes  by 
state  banks  may  be  filed  under  "Bank  notes."  A  red 
check-mark  before  that  word  on  the  cross  reference  guide 
card  for  "State  banks"  indicates  that  a  related  article 
will  be  found  under  "Bank  notes"  and  the  small  signal 
avoids  the  necessity  of  hunting  through  all  the  articles 
on  that  subject  for  the  desired  one.  Another  similar 
device  is  the  adjustable  steel  signal  made  by  Charles  C. 
Smith,  Exeter,  Nebraska. 

The  question  of  method  of  arrangement  is  one  that 
must  be  settled  to  suit  the  convenience  and  the  material 
of  each  library,  but  the  usual  methods  are:  The  Dewey 
Arrangement  Decimal  classification  and  the  alphabetical 
of  Vertical  arrangement  by  subject.  An  investigation 
File.  Decimal  of  the  use  and  methods  of  handling  and 
Classification  fiji^jg  newspaper  clippings,  conducted  by 
a  special  committee  of  the  Special  Libraries  Association 
in  191 3,  developed  the  fact  that  of  twenty-five  libraries 
reporting  a  definite  scheme  of  classification,  ten  used  the 
Dewey  decimal,  ten  an  alphabetical  arrangement  by  sub- 
ject, four  their  own  special  numeric  scheme,  and  one  a 
geographic  arrangement.     For  the  ordinary  public  library 


i8  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

the  alphabetical  subject  arrangement  is  certainly  less 
complicated  and  more  in  harmony  with  the  methods 
already  in  use  in  the  catalog,  than  the  other  schemes. 
The  "morgue"  of  the  Columbia  University  School  of 
Journalism  shows  as  a  horrible  example  the  results  of 
trying  to  keep  a  close  classification  with  the  Dewey 
system.     949.6.08.324. 191 3  indicates  the  Macedonian  war, 

1913- 

The  chief)  argument  against  the  use  of  the  Decimal 
classification  in  a  vertical  file,  is  that  an  index  to  the 
numbers  is  required,  and  as  the  classification  is  not  suffi- 
ciently expanded  in  some  sections  and  does  not  cover 
others  at  all,  the  relative  index  is  practically  useless  for 
this  purpose.  Then,  too,  new  editions  of  the  classification 
at  frequent  intervals  necessitate  many  changes  in  the  file. 
On  the  other  hand  the  alphabetical  arrangement  by  subject 
may  be  expanded  indefinitely ;  the  subdivisions  of  the 
Arrangement  same  subject  are  all  brought  together,  and 
Alphabetical  cataloging  and  indexing  are  unnecessary, 
as  the  subject  headings  and  cross  references  make  the 
file  self  indexing.  As  the  chief  object  of  the  file  is  to 
give  a  maximum  of  use  for  a  minimum  of  labor  and 
expense,  this  is  an  important  consideration. 

When  the  alphabetical  subject  method  is  chosen,  the 
next  consideration  is  the  matter  of  subject  headings. 
Inasmuch  as  the  material  in  the  file  is  primarily  con- 
Subject  cerned  with  subjects  not  as  yet  in  books,  it 
Headings  is  evident  that  the  A.  L.  A.  list  of  subject 
headings  is  not  sufficiently  abreast  of  the  times  or  de- 
tailed enough  to  give  the  best  satisfaction.  This  is  the 
source  of  the  headings  used  by  the  Washington  Public 
Library,  where  a  clipping  requiring  a  new  heading  to  be 
made  is  sent  to  the  catalog  department  by  the  head  of 
the  reference  department,  with  a  suggestion  as  to  the 
heading  desired.     If  this  agrees  with  a  heading  already 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  19 

in  the  catalog  all  is  well,  but  if  a  new  heading  has  to 
be  made  it  is  necessary  to  make  it  agree  with  the  A.  L.  A. 
list ;  and  books  or  analytics  of  books  have  to  be  changed 
to  accord.  This  is  necessary,  because  no  headings  used 
only  for  pamphlet  material  are  entered  in  the  catalog. 
A  multigraphed  card,  to  which  the  heading  is  added  in 
red,  as  on  all  subject  cards,  is  placed  in  the  catalog  at 
the  end  of  the  subject,  reading  thus: 

Woman  suffrage. 

For  pamphlets  and  clippings  on  this  subject,  con- 
sult attendant  in  the  reference  room. 

The  obvious  advantage  of  this  method  is,  that  the 
public  and  assistants  are  both  reminded  that  the  books  do 
not  exhaust  the  resources  of  the  library  on  a  given  sub- 
ject. It  is  an  open  question  however  whether  this  com- 
pensates for  the  effort  to  make  the  two  classes  of  subject 
headings  agree. 

In  the  Newark  Public  Library  special  subject 
headings  have  been  assigned  to  vertical  file  material,  as 
the  need  arose,  until  now  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  printed 
list  of  these  headings  with  blank  pages  interleaved  for 
additions.  The  rules  for  this  part  of  the  preparation  of 
the  material  as  given  in  the  recently  published  pamphlet 
on  the  "Vertical  File,"  in  the  Modern  American  Library 
Economy  series,  are  as  follows : 

Printed  headings  of  Vertical  File  are  to  be  followed 
in  all  vertical  files  in  every  respect. 

The  headings  are  to  be  written  on  the  folders  in  the 
same  place.  Lists  of  societies,  whether  made  in  or  for 
the  vertical  file  or  for  other  purposes,  are  to  follow  pre- 
cisely the  rules  made  for  like  entries  in  the  main  library 
reference  file,  whether  the  societies  thus  listed  are  actually 
to  be  found  in  that  file  or  not. 

Every  department  or  branch  which  has  a  vertical  file 
must  at  once  check  its  headings  by  the  printed  list  and 
make  an  accurate  copy  on  sheets  of  all  the  entries  that 


20  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

are  not  found  in  the  printed  list  or  that  vary  from  it  in 
any  respect.  In  making  this  list  change  as  many  headings 
as  possible  to  conform  to  the  printed  list,  in  order  that  the 
list  of  variations  may  be  as  brief  as  possible. 

These  additions  and  variations  with  the  material  to 
which  they  refer,  must  be  submitted  to  the  assistant  in 
charge  of  the  vertical  file  in  the  main  library,  for  her 
changes  and  approval,  at  once. 

She  will  return  these  lists,  revised,  and  her  revision 
must  be  followed  absolutely.  After  these  lists  have  been 
sent  to  her,  no  entries  other  than  those  found  in  the 
printed  list  are  to  be  added  to  any  vertical  file  until  those 
entries,  with  the  material  to  which  they  refer,  have  been 
submitted  to  her  for  revision  and  approval.  These  sug- 
gestions can  be  sent  on  Wednesdays  only. 

It  is  most  essential  that  all  vertical  files  be  consistent 
with  one  another.  They  can  thus  be  made  consistent 
only  by  one  person  and  that  person  must  have  knowledge 
of  and  skill  in  cataloging. 

Appeals  from  and  arguments  for  changes  in  the  de- 
cisions of  the  assistant  in  charge  must  be  put  in  writing 
and  addressed  -to  the  librarian. 

Headings  are  assigned  according  to  the  following 
instructions : 

1.  Examine  the  subject  matter  of  each  piece. 

2.  Do  not  use  a  heading  simply  because  it  occurs 
in  the  title  or  headline. 

Rules  for  3-     Consult  the  official  list  of  headings 

Assigning  and  if  in  doubt  compare  with  the  corres- 
Subject  ponding  folder  in  the  file. 

Headings  ^      jf  ^j^^  selected  heading  appears   in 

the  title  of  the  pamphlet  or  in  the  headlines  of  the 
clipping  it  is  to  be  underscored  in  pencil. 

5.  To  avoid  ambiguity  in  case  of  inserted  headings, 
the  first  word  is  to  be  twice  underscored. 

6.  If  the  heading  is  supplied  it  is  to  be  written  in 
pencil  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner. 

7.  For  new  headings,  after  examination  of  subject 
matter,  consult  the  Readers'  Guide,  and  other  lists  of 
headings. 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  21 

8.  Avoid  unnecessary  subdivisions  under  subjects 
where  there  is  little  material. 

9.  In  the  application  of  the  principles  of  subject 
headings,  as  stated  in  Cutter's  Rules  for  a  Dictionary 
Catalogue  and  in  the  preface  of  the  A.  L.  A.  subject 
headings,  note  the  following  variations : 

From  the  briefer  and  more  temporary  character 
of  the  material  to  be  treated,  it  is  often  possible  to 
give  a  more  definite  or  'catchy'  heading  than  would 
describe  or  befit  the  dignity  of  a  printed  book. 

Few  general  references  and  more  specific  cross 
references  between  coordinate  and  nearly  synonymous 
terms  are  required. 

Make  "see"  references  for  inverted  headings  and 
from  any  term  never  to  be  used  as  the  heading  chosen. 

Do  not  refer  from  a  subject  to  its  subheads. 

10.  The  new  headings  are  to  be  added  to  the  Offi- 
cial List  of  Headings  as  soon  as  approved  by  the  head 
of  the  department  and  the  necessary  cross  references  are 
made  on  this  list  and  on  the  V.  F.  folders. 

For  the  average  size  library  the  Readers'  Guide 
furnishes  an  excellent  list  of  subject  headings  for  the 
vertical  file  which  includes  new  material  and  also  all 
necessary  cross  references. 

As  is  emphasized  in  the  rules  for  the  use  of  the 
Newark  Public  Library  vertical  file,  the  direction  of  and 
responsibility  for  the  file  should  be  in  the  hands  of  one 
person,  who  should  have  the  decision  as  to  suitable  ma- 
terial, subject  headings,  and  weeding  out  of  useless  and 
superseded  material. 

In  the  Newark  Public  Library  great  emphasis  is 
placed  on  the  weeding  process.  So  much  so  in  fact  that 
at  the  time  material  is  selected  it  is  stamped  with  the 
Weeding  probable  date  of  discard.     In  such  a  large 

Process  file    as    this,    such    precaution    is    probably 

necessary  though  ordinarily  it  seems  unnecessary.  It 
goes  without  saying  that  every  piece  of  material  added 


22  CARE  OF  PAAiPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

to  the  file  should  bear  the  date  of  accession  and  with  this 
as  a  guide  the  weeding  at  stated  intervals  is  easily  ac- 
complished. Much  of  the  process  is  automatic  anyway, 
as  in  the  case  of  reports,  the  last  one  only  being  kept 
in  the  file.  In  the  Washington  Public  Library  no  especial 
point  is  made  of  weeding,  other  than  that  which  naturally 
occurs  as  the  mass  of  material  on  a  subject  forces  atten- 
tion. The  pamphlet  and  clippings  are  then  sorted  for 
subdivision  or  for  transfer  to  the  shelves.  In  the  latter 
case  they  are  placed  in  Library  Bureau  transfer  cases, 
such  as  are  used  in  business  offices  for  correspondence. 
These  keep  the  material  free  from  dust  better  than  the 
ordinary  pamphlet  boxes,  and  are  certainly  more  satis- 
factory in  the  case  of  unmounted  clippings.  When  the 
material  on  a  specified  subject  is,  for  reasons  of  bulk, 
removed  from  the  vertical  file,  a  guide  card  is  inserted 
in  its  place  referring  to  the  shelves.  This  same  method 
is  used  also  in  the  case  of  a  single  pamphlet  or  set  of 
pamphlets  too  bulky  for  filing  in  the  case,  but  not  of 
sufficient  value  to  bind  or  prepare  in  any  special  way  for 
the  shelves. 

In  this  connection  an  explanation  may  be  given  of 
the  color  band  system  used  in  the  Newark  Public  Library 
for  material  too  bulky  for  the  file  and  for  such  collec- 
Newark  tions    as    trade    catalogs,    telephone    direc- 

Color  Band  tories,  and  long  series  of  reports  and  such 
System  matter    as    is    difficult    to    keep    in    proper 

alphabetic  or  geographic  order.  This  explanation  of 
the  method  was  kindly  furnished  by  Miss  Ball  of  the 
Newark  Business  branch. 

The  color  band  system  is  used  to  a  limited  extent  for 
certain  classes  of  cataloged  material,  such  as  music,  where 
orderly  arrangement  is  difficult  to  preserve.  Its  chief 
use,  however,  is  for  such  classes  as  those  listed  below, 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  23 

where  the  value  is  less  than  the  cost  of  cataloging  and 
the  form  and  frequent  use  make  the  proper  sequence  on 
the  shelf  hard  to  maintain  by  the  ordinary  devices. 

1.  Telephone  directories.  Arranged  alphabetically  by 
states. 

2.  New  Jersey  reports.  States  and  territories,  51. 
Arranged  alphabetically  by  subject. 

3.  Census  reports,  States  and  territories,  51.  Ar- 
ranged alphabetically  by  states  and  filed  on  shelves  after 
bound  census  reports. 

4.  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  reports  on  spirit  leveling, 
41.  Arranged  on  shelves  alphabetically  by  states  and  filed 
on  shelves  after  Gannatt's  "Dictionary  of  Altitudes." 

5.  Manufacturers'  catalogs  of  office  appliances,  200. 
Arranged  alphabetically  by  the  name  of  the  company. 

6.  State  and  city  material;  reports,  pamphlets,  rail- 
road circulars.  Board  of  Trade  publications  etc.,  1500. 
Arranged  alphabetically  by  the  name  of  the  company. 

7.  Miscellaneous  material  too  large  for  the  vertical 
file,  books,  pamphlets,  etc.,  600.  Arranged  by  subject. 
References  are  made  from  vertical  file  to  this  collection 
wherever  necessary. 

8.  School  reports  and  catalogs  arranged  alphabeti- 
cally by  states,  300. 

9.  Price  lists  of  U.  S.  Government  publications  for 
sale  by  the  Superintendent  of  Documents,  61.  Arranged 
alphabetically  by  subject. 

Bands  of  gummed  paper  of  many  colors,  made  by  the 
Dennison  Mfg.  Company,  price  30  cents  per  1000,  are 
pasted  across  the  backs  of  books  and  pamphlets  at 
different  heights  from  the  bottom.  These  determine  the 
relative  location  of  the  books  so  marked  on  the  shelves 
and  serve  as  guides  in  keeping  them  in  order. 

Pamphlets  too  small  for  designated  guide  are  put 
in  manila  envelopes  and  the  band  is  pasted  on  the 
envelope. 

Pamphlets  too  large  for  the  shelf  are  put  in  an  over- 
size box  and  a  cardboard  dummy  is  placed  on  the  shelf 
with  the  band  around  the  dummy. 

Seven  different  colors   are  used,   dark  blue,  orange, 


24  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

pink,  green,  light  blue,  red,  and  yellow.  A  guide  card, 
8x11  inches  for  each  color  is  made.  Gummed  colored 
bands,  three  and  a  half  inches  long  and  quarter  of  an  inch 
wide,  are  placed  over  one  edge  and  pasted  over  both  sides 
of  these  cards  at  intervals  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  Be- 
side each  strip,  on  one  side  of  the  card,  is  written  that 
section  of  the  alphabet  which  is  represented  by  the  color 
on  that  card  at  each  of  its  given  heights.  By  these  seven 
guides  of  seven  different  colors  the  alphabet  is  divided 
into  112  parts. 

The  divisions  of  tlie  first  guide,  dark  blue,  for 
example,  are  as  follows:  Aa,  Ae,  Am,  An,  Ap,  Ar,  As, 
At,  Au,  B,  Be,  Bi,  Bl,  Bo,  Br,  Bu. 

Each  guide  reads  from  the  bottom  up,  "Aa"  being  at 
the  bottom  and  "Ba"  at  the  top. 

To  determine  the  colored  band  to  be  used  on  any 
pamphlet,  select  the  guide  which  includes  the  first  two 
letters  of  the  subject  of  that  pamphlet.  A  pamphlet  on 
Bankruptcy  would  call  for  the  first  guide  and  would  have 
a  dark  blue  band  across  the  back  at  the  same  height  as 
the  letters  Ba  on  the  guide. 

A  pamphlet  whose  subject  begins  with  C  would  call 
for  another  guide  and  a  different  color. 

The  pamphlets  and  books,  thus  marked,  are  arranged 
on  the  shelves,  first  by  colors,  and  second  by  the  height 
of  the  strips  they  bear. 

One  great  advantage  of  this  method  of  marking  is 
that  it  enables  one  to  tell  at  a  glance  when  a  pamphlet  is 
out  of  place.  A  pamphlet  with  a  blue  band  at  a  height 
of  five  inches,  if  placed  among  pamphlets  whose  bands 
are  only  three  inches  high,  is  quickly  noticed  as  out  of 
place.  The  same  is  true  of  a  pamphlet  with  a  green 
band  placed  with  those  of  another  color.  Even  when 
the  band  is  on  a  thin  cardboard  dummy,  it  is  easily 
detected  if  out  of  place.  With  this  system  it  is  possible 
to  run  the  eye  over  a  collection  of  a  thousand  pamphlets 
and  tell  in  a  few  moments  all  that  are  out  of  order. 
The  system  is  capable  of  almost  indefinite  expansion. 
By  using  a  band  of  one  color  at  the  top,  seven  different 
colors  mav  be  used  to  mark  seven  different  collections. 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  25 

Other  combinations  may  be  made  by  the  use  of  two 
or  more  bands  of  the  same  color,  and  so  on. 

For  the  arrangement  of  books  and  documents  by 
states  or  countries  the  same  bands  are  used ;  but  they 
represent  places  instead  of  subdivisions  of  the  alphabet. 
This  method  brings  together  in  one  place  all  publications 
about  a  certain  state,  followed  immediately  by  all  pub- 
lications relating  to  parts  of  that  state. 

The  system  here  described  has  many  advantages, 
chief  of  which  are  the  following: 

Pamphlet  material  is  placed  on  the  shelves  on  the 
same  day  on  which  it  is  received.  Pamphlets  and  books 
too  thin'  to  bear  call  numbers  are  easily  kept  in  order. 
Ephemeral  material  is  cared  for  at  a  minimum  cost. 

The  chief  value  of  the  vertical  file  material  is  for 
quick  reference  use  and  its  collection  and  arrangement 
is  especially  toward  that  end,  but  both  in  the  Newark 
and  Washington  libraries  much  material  is 
Pamphlet  loaned.  In  Newark  a  second  file  of 
Material  duplicate  material  is  kept  for  this  purpose 

and  the  material  for  this  file  is  prepared  in  exactly  the 
same  way  as  that  for  the  reference  file,  except  that  the 
pieces  are  stamped  "lending"  so  that  the  material  from 
the  two  files  cannot  be  interchanged.  In  addition  to  the 
dupHcates,  there  is  in  the  lending  file  a  large  amount  of 
clipping  material  on  subjects  of  interest  to  teachers, 
taken  from  educational  periodicals.  A  number  of  poems 
are  included  in  this  file.  Clippings  are  mounted  and 
magazine  excerpts  are  fastened  into  Rugby  paper  covers, 
folded  to  measure  8  x  11  inches.  The  subject  headings 
are  printed  on  these  covers.  This  library  finds  that  it 
is  necessary  to  mount  lending  material  and  protect  it  by 
an  outer  cover  on  account  of  the  system  of  charging, 
and  still  more  to  impress  the  borrower  with  the  value  of 
the  clipping.     Manila  envelopes  2  x  9^  inches  are  pro- 


26  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

vided  for  the  lending  material;  a  multigraphed  slip  on 
each  reads : 

The  Free  Public  Library  of  Newark^  N.  J. 

Clippings,  poems  and  leaflets  are  lent  for  one  month. 
For  any  lot  not  returned  or  renewed  a  fine  of  two 
cents  a  day  for  each  lot  will  be  charged.  Please 
write  your  name  on  the  package. 

J.  C.  Dana,  Librarian. 

In  charging  a  package  of  material  a  manila  slip 
similar  to  the  book  slip  is  used,  at  the  top  of  which  V.  F. 
is  written,  then  the  date  and  borrower's  number,  as  in 
Charging  ^^^^    ^^^^    ^^    books,    and    below    this    the 

Vertical  File  number  of  articles  on  each  subject  taken. 
Material  Each  item  is  dated  and  has  the  borrower's 

number  written  on  the  back.  After  the  items  are  placed 
in  the  envelope  the  date. is  stamped  on  the  "instruction 
legend"  and  on  the  reader's  card,  where  it  is  followed 
by  the  letters  V.  F.  In  February,  19 16,  2,338  pamphlets 
and  1,793  poems  were  circulated. 

The  process  is  much  simpler  in  Washington.  Here 
there  is  no  duplicate  file  for  lending,  but  duplicates  are 
saved  for  that  purpose,  and  any  material  is  loaned  at  the 
discretion  of  the  reference  librarian,  and  is  charged  by 
her  on  a  white  slip  by  simply  writing  at  the  top  of  the 
slip,  "Pamphlets,"  followed  by  the  subjects  covered  and 
the  number  of  pamphlets  taken  in  each  class,  to  which 
is  added  the  name  and  address  of  the  borrower.  The 
total  number  of  pamphlets  taken  is  added  in  the  upper 
left  hand  corner.  Pamphlets  are  not  indicated  in  any 
way  on  the  borrower's  card,  though  the  card  must  be 
shown  before  any  charge  is  made,  thus  assuring  the  li- 
brarian that  the  would-be  borrower  is  a  certified  user  of 
the  library.     The  material  is  slipped  into  an  envelope,  on 


CARE   OF   PAAIPHLETS    AND    CLIPPINGS  2/ 

which  is  the  library  stamp.  The  date  of  issue  is  stamped 
at  the  right  hand  margin  and  a  note  is  made  of  the 
number  of  items  taken.  Material  is  loaned  for  one  week, 
with  the  privilege  of  renewal  if  it  is  not  otherwise  in 
demand. 

A  development  of  the  vertical  file  use  which  has  so 
far  received  too  little  consideration  is  the  package  li- 
brary, which  has  been  developed  commercially  by  The 
H.  W.  Wilson  Company,  and  as  a  library  feature  by 
the  American  Bankers'  Association.  Material  is  sent 
out  by  the  latter  in  large  expansive  mailing  envelopes, 
known  as  the  Bragdon  expanding  envelope,  115-117 
Worth  Street,  New  York  City.  This  feature,  in  con- 
nection with  the  parcels  post,  is  capable  of  great  possibili- 
ties in  libraries  which  serve  a  rural  or  county  clientele, 
or  in  parts  of  the  country  where  the  traveling  library  is 
impractical  because  of  the  prohibitive  transportation  rates, 
as  in  the  Southern  Appalachian  region.  A  similar  idea 
is  used  by  the  Wisconsin,  Indiana  and  North  Carolina 
library  commissions  and  by  numerous  state  libraries  and 
state  universities  in  sending  out  packages  of  debating 
material,  and  at  least  one  county  agent  has  made  use  of 
it  for  the  benefit  of  the  farmers,  sending  packages  of 
pamphlets  and  clippings  on  desired  subjects. 

In  this  attempt  to  show  what  important  work  may  be 
accomplished  by  means  of  material  which  is  too  often 
entirely  disregarded  or  allowed  to  escape  with  slight 
notice  because  of  a  disinclination  to  attack  the  problem, 
the  methods  of  the  Newark  and  Washington  libraries 
are  chosen  as  more  representative  and  also  as  more 
adaptable  to  the  average  library,  than  those  of  larger 
collections.  Sufficient  time  has  elapsed  to  prove  that 
these  systems  are  entirely  practical. 


2-8 


Care  of  pamphlets  and  clippings 


The  use  of  the  vertical  file  for  pamphlets  and 
ephemera  is  not  offered  as  a  panacea  for  all  the  troubles 
to  which  the  librarian  is  heir,  but  as  a  means  of  making 
information  quickly  and  easily  available  to  the  busy 
worker,  at  the  same  time  saving  the  librarian  much 
needless  routine  and  unnecessary  expense  through  the 
adoption  of  the  new  creed,  "careful  selection,  immediate 
use,  and  ready  rejection  when  usefulness  is  past." 


TURN       LIBRARY  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

)■►       2  South  Hall                                  642-2253 

AN  PERIOD  1 

2 

3 

5 

6 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

DUE   AS  STAMPED   BELOW 

DFG  8     1978 

RM  NO.  DD  18,  45m    6'76  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 

BERKELEY,  CA  94720 

®i 


